From NYC's Meat Packing District

Established in 1868 in New York City's Meat Packing District, the Old Homestead Steak House is New York's oldest steak house, reputed for its menu specializing in the four basic food groups: Beef, Beef, Beef, and Beef. In 2003, brothers Greg and Marc Sherry opened a second location at the Borgata Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, and now the second-generation, family-owned boutique steakhouse treats Washington area diners to its winning formula that combines a reputation for excellence with adherence to quality that started 137 years ago. Renowned for Prime dry-aged beef as well as for introducing Kobe beef to New Yorkers more than a decade ago, Old Homestead's third location is housed in the flagship Chevy Chase Bank Building in Washington, DC's tony suburb of Bethesda, Maryland.

The 8,000-square-foot steakhouse seats guests amid floor-to-ceiling windows and 20-foot-high ceilings chiseled into a circular fan shape. Zebra wood-paneled walls, accented with columns painted red, saffron yellow, and teal, provide a colorful backdrop to the sectional seating accommodating 142 diners. Tan linen clothed tables and cozy banquettes (corner banquettes feature suspended red firework-like spider chandeliers) provide privacy yet offer views of observing the goings on of a sumptuous club. Two private dining rooms (the Boca and the Borgata), each seating 24, open into one grand private room. The handsome bar and lounge, where original photographs by Julian Schnabel adorn the colorful walls and where Annabelle the Cowthe six-foot-high and eight-foot-long Old Homestead mascotwatches over patrons from high above the bar. (Fans of HBO's "Sopranos" will be familiar with Annabelle. She hangs prominently above the Old Homestead-NYC entrance and appears in several episodes as Tony Soprano's favorite steakhouse.)Those preferring al fresco dining will enjoy the landscaped patio that seats 42.

The stunning decor is just one ingredient in Old Homestead's success. The other, of course, is the menu, which was set in 1868, when Grandfather Harry Sherry opened a three-table restaurant with 12 bar stools.

Harry worked diligently with local butchers, insisting on dry-aging Prime beef for three weeks. The Old Homestead's name became synonymous with BIG steaks, so much so that when customers couldn't polish off a whole steak, Harry wrapped up their leftovers to take home to the dog. Today, under the ownership of Harry's two grandsons Greg and Marc Sherry, Old Homestead guests are still taking home what Harry coined as "doggie bags."

When the Sherry brothers bought the Old Homestead from Grandfather Sherry in 1970, they expanded the restaurant several times to accommodate a growing clientele. In 1990, the brothers read about a special beef called Kobe beef raised in Japan (the cattle are massaged with sake and fed a daily diet that includes large amounts of beer, thereby producing extraordinarily tender, finely marbled, and full-flavored meat). After a trip to Japan, the Sherry brothers introduced Kobe beef steaks, hamburgers, and the one-and-only Kobe hot dog to the New York dining scene. Already a popular destination, the brothers' family-owned boutique steakhouse boasted a celebrity-studded, month-long waiting list; suddenly, the world knew about Old Homestead.

When MGM/Mirage/Boyd Gaming promised the Sherry brothers complete freedom to open an Old Homestead as one of only three gourmet restaurants in the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, Greg and Marc launched their second location in 2003 to instant success.

Tapping Chef Rob Fleming - a seasoned culinary talent whose experience spans the best steakhouses and seafood restaurants in DCto assume the helm in the Bethesda kitchen, the Sherry brothers are confident the Old Homestead menu will be a success. A wide range of menu choices suits all palates, but the Old Homestead Steak House is defin